


Asphyxia

by Asellas



Series: Saecula Saeculorum [6]
Category: Ghost (Sweden Band)
Genre: Angst, Blow Jobs, Demons, M/M, Mental Anguish, Rituals, Rough Sex, Violence, happy endings
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-11-08
Updated: 2018-12-26
Packaged: 2019-08-20 20:11:28
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 3
Words: 20,669
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/16562354
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Asellas/pseuds/Asellas
Summary: Breaking things is easy. Putting them back together? Not so much.(a sequel toRip Tide)





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> By popular demand, a continuation, and end, to Rip Tide.  
> Because I need to give Rain something nice at some point.

“Rain?” The voice snaps at his mind and he blinks, looking up to see Ember and Aether watching him with an odd look. He tilts his head, running the pads of his fingers across the rough metal of his bass strings.

“Yeah? Is something wrong,” he asks with a trill, tail twitching as he fights down the urge to crumble under the combined gaze of his ghoulish brothers.

“You stopped playing, and have been staring off for the past minute,” Aether says, voice tinged with concern. Blaze had abandoned his side of the stage and wandered over, dark eyes watching Rain closely. He reaches out and pulls Rain’s mask and balaclava off, pressing his hand to the water ghoul’s forehead.

“Everything alright,” Blaze murmurs as he cups Rain’s face, gazing into the glittering blue of his mate’s eyes.

“I… I think? I don’t…” Rain mumbles, for a moment looking horribly lost and terrified, though when he blinks he’s back to his normal self. Blaze pushes his mask up so he can lean forward and slot their mouths together, kissing Rain slow and sweet, letting his mate revel in the contentment of their shared bond. They’d noticed it happening lately, occasionally coming upon the water ghoul as he sits or stands in place, eyes glassy and unfocused as he stares off into nothing. They didn’t think much of it at first, but lately with the increase of practicing for the upcoming tour it was becoming problematic. This was the fourth time he’d stopped mid-song, fingers poised over his strings and stock still but for the miniscule rise and fall of his chest as he breathes.

“Let’s try again, yeah? Think you’re up for it,” Blaze asks, wanting to take a break and lie down with Rain, to curl around him protectively till he can figure out what was going on. But time was beginning to run short already, there were only so many more weeks before they would be back on the road and on stage. He knew that Fire had been given instructions to start practicing the lead guitar parts, and he’d seen the sheaf of bass tabs in a folder in Ember’s room. It was just a contingency plan, he knew, but the knowledge that the Cardinal and Sister were both readying to replace Rain in the event he didn’t improve made his stomach churn.

“Sure, okay,” Rain chirps, sounding entirely too bright and cheery for someone that just a month ago suffered enough mental trauma that would have anyone else throwing themselves off the tallest balcony of the church to escape.

_Something had gone wrong; the spell hadn’t worked the way they thought it would._

Blaze snarls a curse in his head while outside he smiles gently at Rain, leaning forward to kiss him again before pulling his balaclava and mask back over his head.

“Right, lets do this,” Blaze grunts, taking his place back on the right side of the stage and they start the song from the beginning.

\--

Blaze wakes in the middle of the night to Rain thrashing against his blanket, keening low in his throat. His heart beats a fast staccato tempo in his chest as he wraps his arms around the flailing ghoul, whispering soothing words till he calms. It’s a few tense moments before Rain shudders and slackens against him, his breathing finally beginning to even out.

“What’s wrong,” he murmurs, stroking Rain’s hair gently. The lanky ghoul makes a quiet noise, curling up and wrapping arms and tail around himself.

“Somethings… something wrong. Like…” Rain’s voice is small and quiet, trembling slightly, “Like something is… missing. Something important that I wasn’t supposed to forget.” Blaze makes a quiet sound in sympathy, knowing he can’t tell Rain about the memories Cael had plucked from his mind and encased in a quartz prison, but also not wanting to lie to him either.

“It’s alright, I’m here,” he soothes, pressing light kisses to Rain’s neck. He nuzzles and licks gently at his jaw and ear, making Rain shiver before he turns around in his arms.

“I’m… I’m scared.” His eyes gleam a bright iridescent blue in the dark as if lit by some inner glow. “What if… what if I start forgetting other things? What if… what if I forget you?” Rain’s voice trembles as he voices this deep-seated fear, eyes gone wide as tears begin to well.

“You won’t forget me,” Blaze croons, running his claws gently along Rain’s scalp. He drags them down the back of his head, following his neck then over his shoulder and collarbone to tap gently at his chest, right above his heart. “You’ll always have me here, can always feel me there, yeah? So, if I’m always there you can’t forget me.” He tries to be reassuring, tries hard to push down the acidic bite of possessiveness that demands that he cling to Rain and never let him out of his sight.

“Do you want to go back to sleep,” he asks, fingers still pressed to his mate’s chest, feeling the heartbeat beneath them. Rain shakes his head, blue eyes giving Blaze a pleading look. “Then let me give you something to help remember me, if you ever need it,” the fire ghoul purrs, shifting to slot their mouths together, slipping his tongue between pliant lips as his hands slide down Rain’s slightly cooler skin. He nudges him onto his back gently as their tongues twine together, swinging a leg over to straddle Rain’s hips, rutting up against his thigh.

Rain moans quietly as Blaze etches himself into his flesh with every swipe of his tongue and buck of his hips, throwing his head back and reveling in letting his mate take him and lay claim to his body.

Later, as sweat and semen cools on their skin, their breath and pulse still fast with exertion, Rain forgets his earlier bout of terror and unease, assuaged by Blaze’s heat and the steady beat of his heart under his ear.

\--

The glass is empty when it slams into the wall, shattering into a multitude of tiny crystal shards.

“That was a very nice glass,” Cael mumbles with a sigh, pouring himself and Quinn another measure of whisky as they wait for Blaze to calm.

“ _Fuck_ ,” the old fire ghoul snarls, clenching and spreading out his fingers as he breathes harshly. Quinn huffs a loud sigh and downs his drink, silently holding the glass out for another refill. Cael pours another splash of the amber liquid before picking his own glass up and swirling it, watching the legs run down the sides of the glass.

“Right, so tell us again, without any further unnecessary outbursts, what’s going on,” Quinn says, voice bland and even. Blaze’s eyes snap onto the old quintessence ghoul, narrowing as he bares his fangs in a silent snarl.

“All you said was that it didn’t work,” Cael sighs, holding his hands up in resignation when Blaze rounds on him. “I need details if I’m to work it out and help.”

“Right,” Blaze growls, closing his eyes and lets his head fall back, taking a few deep, shuddering breaths before collapsing into his chair. “Rain is… having these… these, episodes, I guess? He just… goes blank for a few minutes. I mean, he’s done it before, it’s not completely uncommon for him,” Blaze amends, rubbing a hand across his face. “But its… it’s gotten worse. Started blanking out during practice. And last night…” Blaze has to swallow before continuing. “Last night, he woke up freaking out, talking about how he’s forgotten something important. Its like, like he knows, in a way, what happened.”

Cael hums quietly, tapping a finger against his lips in thought. “Sounds like the memories are tied to more places in his psyche than I realized. Something is trying to, hmm, how to put this… to, tap into the memories?” The curly haired ghoul sets his glass to the side and goes to the cabinets and drawers lining the walls of his study. He presses his thumb to the front of one drawer, a small glyph igniting in a small burst of aetheric energy at his touch, allowing him to open the drawer and pull out the case of crystal-incased memories.

“I’ll admit, it wasn’t my best job, I apologize,” Cael sighs, setting the case on his desk as he rummages for various other items: a small scrap of old vellum, a fountain pen with a sharp-pointed nib, and a jar of a pot of the most peculiar ink that swirled in black, purple, gold, and silver. “It was something of a patchwork thing, as time then was extremely limited, and I see now that I’ve missed a few important things. We’ll restore the majority of his memory for the time being and just try to shroud the aetheric kickback, but that too is just a temporary measure that might hold for a week, if that.” Blaze inhales sharply, closing his eyes and trying to contain the spikes of panic that burn in his chest.

“What do we do to fix it, permanently,” he asks, trying not to let the fear that was beginning to eat at his gut sound in his voice.

“We’ll need to speak to Sister Imperator,” Quinn says quietly, and Blaze feels his heart skip a beat.

“Is that really nes—” he begins, on to be cut off by Cael.

“Yes, it is,” the shorter quintessence ghoul says, voice soft yet gentle as he sets the pen aside, the glyph he’d inscribed on the paper shimmering brightly before the aether settles into the ink. “I understand your worry, but we need her expertise. She has a wealth of knowledge that is vital if we are to truly repair Rain’s mind.”

“Right, okay,” Blaze nods, taking deep, calming breaths to try and ease the vice in his chest. The clergy was by and large not noted for its patience and gentleness toward the ghouls, and he worried what they would do considering the vast amount of trouble Rain has already caused. Quinn lays a hand on Blaze’s shoulder, squeezing it gently.

“It’ll be fine. Sister may not seem like it, but she does care deeply for us ghouls. She’ll help in any way possible,” the elder quintessence ghoul soothes, trying to help calm the old fire ghoul.

“We can go get this little patch done, then Quinn and I will go directly to her and get things set up. The quicker we get it all done the better.” Cael give Blaze a kind smile, offering him one last drink of whisky before they leave his study. Blaze shakes his head, wanting his mind to be clear for the entire ordeal in case anything went awry, standing and waiting with a nervous energy as Cael gathers the crystal into a small cloth drawstring bag, tucking it into a pocket with the glyph before returning everything to its proper place. Quinn tosses back the glass of whisky that had been offered to Blaze, as well as finishing his and Cael’s glasses, before joining the fire ghoul at the door. The two quintessence ghouls follow Blaze down the halls, Cael explaining the basics of the spell as they go.

“We never know how the reactions will go, but we need to speak to Sister immediately following the spell so if anything seems to go weird you can call us and we’ll come back directly,” Cael finishes as they near the wing of the castle the band ghoul’s apartment resided in.

“Weird how, what should I looks for,” Blaze asks, worrying at his bottom lip with his fangs.

“Uhm, well again we never know exactly what could happen, but I’d say to be on the look for seizures, anaphylaxis, suicidal tendencies or the urge to self-harm.” Cael stumbles as he collides with Blaze’s back when the fire ghoul stops in his tracks. Quinn presses a palm to the small of Blaze’s back to prompt him to keep moving.

“It’ll be alright, I doubt we’ll have any problems this time,” the curly haired ghoul says, straightening his cassock as he follows Blaze into the apartment.

“Your mate bond will help, you can use it to bolster him, and know when something changes,” Quinn reminds him, looking around the common room of the apartment, finding it currently empty.

“Where...?” Blaze takes a deep breath, Cael giving him another confident smile and nod.

“Bedroom is fine. It’s not a very active spell, and being in a safe, familiar place will help.” Blaze nods, heading to his and Rain’s nest. He finds Rain lounging on their bed, listening to a pair of headphones while he taps at a sudoku puzzle on his phone. He taps the water ghoul gently on the shoulder, Rain’s face breaking into a wide smile as he chirps brightly, silencing his phone and tossing the headphones off before flinging his arms around Blaze’s neck and nuzzling his chest gently.

“Is something wrong,” Rain asks, gemstone blue eyes blinking up at Blaze curiously as he picks up on his mate’s mood. He looks around Blaze’s wide shoulders at the two quintessence ghouls who shuffle inside, Quinn closing the door quietly behind him. “Blaze?” His eyes dart between the three ghouls, shoulders hunching in on himself unconsciously.

“It’s… it’ll be fine,” the fire ghoul murmurs, moving to sit on the bed, pulling Rain into his lap. The water ghoul gives a worried trill, curling up against Blaze and pressing his nose to the fire ghoul’s neck.

“Rain,” Cael calls, settling on the edge of the bed and touching the scared ghoul’s hair softly. The water ghoul turns his head to look at him, eyes wide and bright with anxiety. Cael gives him a reassuring smile, pushing his glasses further up his nose before he pulls out the paper and the little bag. “Would you mind turning around, for a bit? We heard you’ve been having some… problems, lately, and came to help.”

Rain glances up at Blaze who gives him a small nod, before shifting around to face Cael, though he does stay sitting in the fire ghoul’s lap. Cael hums, eyes going half lidded and lips parting as he communes with the aether. The inked glyph beings to glow in response, the specific ingredients in the ink reacting to the swell of energy, crackling and fizzing till it eats away at the paper to float in the air above his palm as he chants in a soft voice. He reaches out and touches the tip of a claw to Rain’s forehead, lightly tracing a rune into his flesh without breaking the skin, running his fingertips lightly down the side of his face and jaw. A shiver runs down Rain’s spine as he feels the power building around him, Cael weaving it in complicated loops and knots with every gentle twist of his fingers till he reaches for Rain’s hand, holding it open and palm up as he opens the small cloth bag with the other.

“Memento quod perierat, tenetur cum dolor et gaudium,” Cael murmurs, upending the bag and letting the crystal fall into Rain’s palm and curling the water ghoul’s fingers around it. Rain’s eyes go wide as the stolen memories return, breath catching in his throat at the onslaught. A quiet sound of distress comes from his throat and Blaze wraps his arms tightly around his middle, holding him tightly to his chest and crooning softly. He can feel the torment through their bond and tries to focus on sharing a sense of calm and safety, to be a steady rock to which Rain could cling to in the mental turbulence. Cael continues the spell, fingers shaking slightly from exertion as he carefully manipulates the aether to shift through the roiling shift of Rain’s memories, trying his best to pluck out and safely shroud the ones stemming from the scrying mirror. By the time he’s done he’s shaking, sweat pouring down his face and skin gone horribly pale, looks much worse for wear than Rain did. Quinn steps forward and picks him up bridal-style without a comment, cradling the worn out quintessence ghoul to his chest.

“Call either of us if you think something is off, we’ll come right back if so,” Quinn reminds Blaze, who nods and shifts Rain to the bed to let them out of the apartment. He darts back to his room once they’ve left, finding Rain standing and looking at the crystal held in his palm, eyes gone wide and impossibly blue when he raises them to look forlornly at Blaze. He shakes his head wordlessly as he backs away slowly to a corner of the room, breath becoming labored and tears starting to well. Blaze follows him, reaching out to offer comfort but Rain keeps backing away from him.

“You… you made me forget,” Rain cries, shaking as he clutches the crystal to his chest, flinching away from Blaze’s grasp. His wide eyes shimmer wetly, bright with fear and pain. “You took them from me, you didn’t even ask. Why? Why did you make me forget? Why… why would you hurt me like that?”

“You were going to break our bond, unravel it, unravel _us,_ ” Blaze snaps, snarling at the cowering water ghoul, the stress combined with the accusation in Rain’s voice making his heart clench with guilt, his control begin to waver. Rain’s eyes go marginally wider at the claim, biting at his bottom lip but not refuting the words. “You were… I saw the paper, the spell. In the Cardinal’s office.” Blaze lumbers forward, slamming his fists to either wall of the corner Rain had backed himself in to, towering over the water ghoul and baring his fangs. “You were falling apart at the seams. You didn’t know where or when you were, babbling nonsense and hurting yourself. What was I _supposed_ to do? Just… let you writhe in agony and… and just… wait for your mind to break and, and… _FUCK!_ ” The fire ghoul throws his head back and roars, claws tearing to the stone walls. Smoke billows from his nostrils as he hunches forward, panting harshly as he just barely holds onto his human form with scant threads of control. Rain huddles in the corner, sliding down the wall to make himself small in the presence of Blaze’s fury.

“Not… again,” he rasps, voice gone deep and multifaceted, sounding of the shriek of tearing metal mixed with the ominous rumbling of an active volcano. His knees buckle and hit the floor hard, claws gouging furrows in the walls as he goes, eyes flickering like bonfires amid pitch-black sclera. He snarls, lashing out and grabbing Rain by the shoulders to pull him bodily from the corner. He gives a terrified trill, ducking his head and dropping his eyes to look at the floor, giving no resistance to the dominant ghoul as Blaze manhandles him onto the bed. Claws rip and shred at his uniform till Rain is laid out nude on the sheets, heart beating fast and erratic in his chest as he tries to hide from the fire ghoul’s anger.

“ _Fuck_ ,” Blaze growls, sitting astride Rain with his claws digging into skinny, pale shoulders. He was angry, so, so very _angry_ , at the ghoul cowering beneath him. It’s not rational nor actually true anger; rather it’s a mask, a cover for an emotion Blaze doesn’t comprehend well, and deals with even worse: _Fear_.

Baring his fangs, he rears back and tugs his own clothes off with sharp movements, uncaring for buttons and seams in the desire to just be _rid of the damned things already_. The anger has simmered down by the time he’s naked, dark tanned skin already shining with a thin sheen of sweat. He crawls over Rain’s body, dipping his head and biting at the soft flesh of his mate’s thigh, stomach, a nipple, up to his neck and his mark left there in start contrast. He presses his mouth to it, sucking at the stiff scar tissue before sinking his teeth in, moaning when blood bursts bright and coppery in his mouth. His lips are stained red when he pulls away to grasp at Rain’s jaw and turn his head to kiss him harshly, thrusting his tongue between soft lips to lick and taste, sharing the metallic tang of blood with possessive swipes of the muscly appendage.

Blaze pulls away, licking up the trickle of blood from the renewed bite mark before leaning over to snatch for the bottle of lube in the bedside table. He shifts and spreads Rain’s legs with his knees as he settles back, popping the cap and pouring slick onto a couple of fingers. He swipes the lube over Rain’s hole, pressing in more to shove the slippery substance inside than to stretch him open, smearing the remaining lube across his cock before lining up. Blaze doesn’t give the water ghoul much in the way of warning or adjustment time, thrusting his hips forward and plowing into him as Rain yelps and hisses. Hands jump to clutch at his hip and shoulder, claws digging into flesh to ground the water ghoul as Blaze pounds into him hard and fast.

It’s not sweet and tender, no love or gentle feelings present in the act. It’s about possession and dominance, about etching himself firmly into Rain’s flesh and psyche. It’s about taking that pure, lovely thing that they have and twisting it to calm the shrieking of his instincts and chase away the stark terror that runs like ice in his veins when he thinks of Rain severing their bond. Beads of sweat drip from his skin and his chest heaves as he goes on, continuing the breakneck pace till pleasure begins to coil tight in his gut, eyes going half lidded as he barrels on toward climax.

“Never again,” Blaze growls, snapping his hips forward to make his balls slap against Rain’s ass. “You’re _mine_ , only _mine_.” He bears his fangs and snarls, raking his claws down Rain’s chest and leaning forward to sink his teeth into the meat of his shoulder as he comes. The water ghoul cries out, the pained sound blurring into a quiet moan as Blaze’s fangs break the skin to add another set of marks to pale flesh. He’s still panting heavily when he pulls away, the last shudders of his orgasm finally dimming as he grasps Rain’s head in both hands and kisses him roughly.

“I love you,” he rumbles thickly, regret and shame at how he’s treated his mate flooding in now that the fear and anger has been swept away. “I love you so much it fucking hurts. And I… I can’t… I can’t fucking _think_ when you’re hurting.” Blaze nuzzles into Rain’s neck, trying to calm the ragged gasp of his breathing, leaving him feeling weak and sluggish. “I’m sorry,” he mumbles into Rain’s skin, shuddering as gentle hands come to rest on his back. “I… may have overreacted. But you were hurting and I… I couldn’t _do_ anything.” The fire ghoul pushes himself up on his elbows to look into Rain’s eyes, his own still bright with sorrow and fear. “I needed to help you, to protect you but there wasn’t anything I could do. Nothing I could hit, or kill, or burn, and I felt so _fucking useless_.”

Rain’s thumbs trace across the muscles of Blaze’s back, sending a shiver down the fire ghoul’s spine. “I’m sorry,” he sighs, leaning back down to place kisses down Rain’s jaw, stopping at his lips. “I didn’t mean to hurt you, not really. It… it’s hard, sometimes, to… to just… fuck, I don’t even know how to say it.”

“I know, I understand,” Rain whispers, turning his head to capture Blaze’s mouth in a soft kiss. One of his hands abandons Blaze’s back to tangle in his hair, threading his fingers through the thick coiled braids. He can feel the tension drain from the fire ghoul’s body as they kiss, lips moving soft and slow with only the barest hint of tongue slipping in to trace a lip before retreating.

“Let me make it up to you, please,” Blaze murmurs against Rain’s lips, mouth curling into a smile when Rain chirps curiously. The big ghoul hums as he snakes downward, pressing kisses and running his fingers over the dips and valleys of Rain’s body till he settles between his legs, nuzzling at the soft skin of his inner thigh.

“Um, what,” Rain asks, gasping when Blaze drags his lips across his groin to lick at the base of his cock.

“I want to taste you,” the fire ghoul rumbles, humming as he traces the side of Rain’s growing erection with featherlight touches of his lips.

“You have before,” Rain whines, feeling entirely too awkward and oddly embarrassed with Blaze settled between his legs. He bites at his lip, cheeks flushing scarlet as he has to look away lest he lose his nerve entirely.

“Not entirely. Not like this.” And it’s true; he’s licked his fingers clean of Rain’s cum plenty of times, has lapped the white streaks from his stomach and chest. Blaze’s tongue darts out to graze the underside of Rain’s shaft, purring quietly at the small moan that falls from Rain’s lips at the contact. He notes the water ghoul’s trepidation, pressing a quick peck of a kiss to the head as he pulls away. “You’ve not done this before, have you?”

“I’ve sucked plenty of cocks,” Rain huffs, lips pulling into an embarrassed pout.

“Yeah, but you’ve never had yours sucked, have you,” Blaze hazards, the frustrated trill that comes from Rain’s throat the only answer he needs. He hums again, skating his fingers along the prominent jut of the water ghoul’s hip. “It’s fine, nothing to be embarrassed about. But can I, please? Let me pleasure you? I’ll stop any time you want me to.” Rain eventually gives a nod, relaxing back onto the sheets and Blaze rubs his thumbs along the silvery lines of scars that run down his inner thighs.

He wasn’t going to say it, but he’d never done this either. Any male partners he’s had in the past were never close enough for him to do this with, always being the one to fuck the willing mouth of whomever he was laying with at the time. He’d gone down on Azure when she was alive, enjoyed taking her apart with fingers and tongue, thrusting the appendage inside her and tasting her sex as he pleasured her with fingers against her clit. He figured this couldn’t be too entirely different, so long as he mimicked the things he’s seen and felt Rain do to him on numerous occasions.

A light tremor runs down the water ghoul’s body as Blaze runs the flat of his tongue along the underside of Rain’s cock, licking upwards till the head rests on the tip. He takes the head into his mouth slowly, closing his lips around it and flicking his forked tongue against the slit, humming as he slowly slides further down the shaft. He catalogs the wealth of sensations, from the heaviness of Rain’s swollen member against his tongue to the velvety soft smoothness of the skin, the heady, salty flavor of sweat and precome, the scent of musk overlaid upon the cool, bright scent of his mate. Halfway down he stops and pulls back, tracing the veins with his tongue and sucking on the head before plunging back down again. He slides a little further down Rain’s cock with each bob of his head, breathing carefully through his nose as he takes his time, wanting to memorize every little thing about Rain that he could.

“B-blaze,” Rain whimpers, hips twitching when the fire ghoul runs a teasing thumb down his balls, cupping and rolling them gently in his palm. He pulls away slowly, cheeks hollowing as he sucks hard on the head of his cock again to let it fall from his lips with a ‘pop’.

“Alright,” Blaze asks, his other hand tracing his hipbone with calloused fingers. Rain’s chest heaves and he has a hand stuffed in his mouth, biting at his fingers to stifle the whimpers and moans that bubble up from his throat. A muffled chirp escapes his mouth as his other hand releases its hold on the bedsheets to thread into Blaze’s hair, cupping the back of his head gently. The fire ghoul smirks and returns to his work, dipping his mouth over Rain’s cock in a slow, measured rhythm. He wraps a couple of fingers around the base, stroking up and down the shaft as he follows the bobbing of his head. The other hand abandons the soft sack of his balls to skate further down, fingertips teasing against the delicate skin of his taint before moving to rub at the tender, puckered flesh of his hole. Rain bucks, a desperate, keening whine coming from the back of his throat as Blaze presses his fingers inside, finding him still lose and slick with lube and cum. He thrusts two fingers in slowly, following the same rhythm as his mouth, fingertips caressing his walls as he searches for his prostate.

“Oh _fuck_ ,” Rain hisses, squirming under the assault of Blaze’s mouth and hands, hips twitching as he tries to keep from bucking up into his mate’s mouth unexpectedly. He keens when the questing fingers finally find what they were searching for, massaging into his walls to stimulate his prostate, breathing hard as waves of pleasure cascade over him. Orgasm comes unexpectedly, thrumming through his body and Rain gives a strangled shout, hips bucking forward uncontrollably, thrusting his cock deep into Blaze’s throat. The fire ghoul is also caught off guard and tries to pull away but Rain’s hand grips the back of his head tight. He gags as the head of Rain’s cock rams into the back of his throat, finally able to pull away as cum fills his mouth and drips down his lips and chin.

“M’sorry,” Rain mumbles, eyes fluttering shut for a moment when Blaze extracts his fingers from his ass. He hums and blinks slowly, a wonderful feeling blooming in his chest as he watches the fire ghoul cough and struggle to get his breathing under control. Rain tugs gently at his hair to pull Blaze forward, sitting up to lick at his chin, gathering the streaks of his cum from his mate’s face before kissing him and twining their tongues together.

”Good,” Blaze asks when they finally part, his voice a rough purr that fills Rain with a satisfied joy.

“Mmm,” Rain purrs, nuzzling at Blaze’s neck gently. “I think you know the answer to that.” The older ghoul snorts a laugh and wraps Rain in his arms, curling tightly around him and watching as Rain turns the crystal over in his hand slowly, the sparse light refracting off the facets.

“We’ll get it all fixed, and everything will be fine,” he promises, pressing a kiss to the top of Rain’s head. The water ghoul gives a quiet sound of assent before snuggling close, winding their tails together as he sighs gently, relaxing in the protective cage of Blaze’s arms and drifting off to sleep.


	2. Chapter 2

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This took a lot longer than I anticipated, I apologize for the delay. Hopefully, it meets everyone's expectations.

The summons comes the next morning, via a text message.

Blaze had been awake for a good hour, content to stay curled around Rain as the water ghoul sleeps with the ease and depth of an exhausted child. In the quiet of their nest he can almost think nothing is wrong, everything is fine and as it should be, but then he catches the faint scent of blood from the mark he’d left on Rain’s left shoulder. It was scabbed over and the skin puffy and red around the mark; the blood had dried in streaks down his chest. They’d been too tired and emotionally strained to leave the bed last night, the injury forgotten in the wake of Blaze’s breakdown.

The fire ghoul sighs before shifting away from Rain and leaving the bed, sifting through the tattered remains of their clothes on the floor till he finds his pants, extracting his phone with a resigned huff. The castle seamstress was going to be very unhappy with him, considering how many uniforms he’s managed to ruin lately. He clicks on his phone, swiping the pad of a finger in a pattern across the screen to unlock the device and check the message that awaited him. Sister Imperator’s summons still made his stomach crawl, though he knew to trust Cael and Quinn’s judgement on the matter. She didn’t expect them for some hours yet, though he decides that he didn’t want to face her down on an empty stomach.

“Hey,” he rumbles, nosing at Rain’s neck as he returns to the bed, “Wake up, sleepyhead.” He’s loath to rouse his mate, wanting to let him stay and enjoy his sleep but they both are in desperate need of a shower. Rain mumbles quietly, turning to stuff his face into the pillow and burrow deep into the plush fabric, though he hisses slightly as he jars his shoulder. Blaze croons softly; he needed to tend the wound, wondering why it was taking this long to heal up.

“Five more minutes,” Rain mumbles, shifting around again till he’s facing the fire ghoul, reaching out to wind his arms around Blaze’s middle and peer up at him sleepily. Want thrums warm and inviting in his chest at that look, and suddenly the need for a shower and food take a backseat to his desire for the water ghoul. Blaze hums as he leans forward and kisses him languidly, sharing hot breaths and working his tongue into Rain’s mouth in slow passes. Rain trills quietly in pleasure as Blaze rocks his hips, rutting into his thigh as he presses soft kisses to neck and jaw.

“Want you,” Blaze groans into his mate’s ear, nipping and suckling on the soft lobe to make the water ghoul chirp for him. Rain bucks his hips, hands sliding down the muscled planes of Blaze’s back to knead at his buttocks, thumbs caressing the sensitive base of his tail. A shiver runs down the fire ghoul’s spine at the touch and he moans, pulling back to look for the bottle of lube he had the night before, only to find that Rain had it wrapped in his tail and held out for him to take. Rain flashes him a grin as he takes the bottle, running his fingers down the flexible length teasingly before shifting the water ghoul onto his stomach. Blaze settles between his spread legs, humming as he strokes fingers down Rain’s tail with one hand, the other sliding down the cleft of his ass and rubbing fingertips against his hole. The water ghoul titters and moans, backside wiggling from side to side at the attention. With one last gentle tug on Rain’s tail Blaze pops the cap on the lube and squeezes the slippery liquid onto the fingers of his right hand, returning them to caressing the ghoul’s sensitive opening before pressing in with two fingers.

“Mmm, you like that, don’t you,” Blaze purrs, shifting again to drape himself over Rain’s back and run his tongue over the shell of his ear as he works his fingers inside him. “You like having my fingers in you, yeah? Would let me fuck you on ‘em slowly all day wouldn’t you?”

“Hnngh, yessss,” Rain whimpers, shuddering as the fingers breach the tight ring of his hole. He flops his tail to the side, giving Blaze more room to work the digits in and out of him. As much as he wants to stretch Rain fast and be sheathed in him quick as possible, Blaze keeps to a leisurely pace, opening the water ghoul up slow and steady, knowing by now how long he can go and how much he can push Rain before he starts getting antsy and bucking back onto his hand.

“You want my cock, don’t you? You all wet for me, love? You ready for me to stretch you open,” Blaze punctuates the words with curling his fingers, ghosting them over the sensitive bundle of nerves buried deep inside him. Rain’s hips twitch as he moans, breathing in harshly, thighs quivering as he restrains himself from rolling back and fucking himself on Blaze’s fingers. The fire ghoul reaches around with his other hand to slide fingers and palm down his lower abdomen to his groin, taking his cock in hand and stroking it in a lose grip. “Fuck, look how wet you are, look how much you want me,” Blaze whispers, hand already slick from the copious amount of precome leaking from the slit. He loved this little trick about water ghouls; if he took his time getting them aroused, they certainly lived up to their element. “Didn’t even need to use the lube, could’ve just let you make your own.”

“Blaze, please,” Rain whines, his tail sliding sensually down the side of Blaze’s thigh, “Please, I want your cock, put it in I’m ready.”

“Needy,” Blaze chuckles, leaning back as he slowly extracts his fingers, running the tips along the stretched out ring of muscle and making Rain trill sharply before pulling them out entirely. He runs the slippery digits across his own cock, gathering the bead of precome at the tip and smearing it in with the lube. He hums as he gently maneuvers Rain’s hips till he’s on his knees with shoulders pressed to the sheets, the head of his cock sliding down the cleft of his ass to rub teasingly over his hole. He presses inside slowly, leaning back to watch how the tight ring of muscle stretches red and wide around his erection, reveling in the tight heat of Rain’s body.

“Oh, fuck, you’re tight,” Blaze murmurs, running the pad of his thumb teasingly across the sensitive flesh where they’re connected, groaning at how the muscle flutters around him. “You were made for me, weren’t you. So wonderful and perfect around my cock, so tight and hot.” With hands resting on narrow hips, Blaze begins to finally move, rocking his hips to fuck into Rain with slow, measured thrusts. He delights in watching his cock sink in and out of his mate’s hole, though he does wish he could see the look of pleasure across Rain’s face as he starts to fuck him. The fire ghoul hums as he begins to pick up his pace, making a mental note to see if he could put a large mirror on a wall for just that purpose.

“Oh, like that, don’t you,” he purrs when Rain gives a quiet trill of pleasure as Blaze snaps his hips forward, balls slapping against his buttocks. He changes his rhythm to just those short, sharp thrusts, jolting Rain’s body with each one till he’s squirming beneath him, walls clenching tight around him rhythmically.

“Yes, please,” the water ghoul moans, voice breathless and raspy as he turns his head to rest on his cheek. His blue eyes are dark and lidded in desire, lips parted as he pants into the sheets. He begins to buck his hips back as Blaze thrusts forward, quiet chirps of pleasure falling from his throat as Blaze’s cock slams into him, deep and penetrating. “Oh, _fuck_ ,” Rain moans when one thrust slams into his prostate, eyes fluttering shut and gasping at the waves of pleasure that sing down his nerves. Blaze groans at the sight of Rain’s face contorted in pleasure, feeling the coil in his gut tightening as he begins to near orgasm. Breathing comes in short pants as continues to snap his hips forward, trying to hit Rain’s prostate on every thrust, a light sheen of sweat beginning to coat his skin.

“Oh Lucifer, you feel so good,” Blaze moans as he reaches a hand around to stroke Rain’s cock, slicking his hand with the precome that’s dripped from his slit. Rain makes a choked off sound of pleasure and shudders around him, digging his claws into the mattress as Blaze jerks him with a tight fist in rhythm with the hard thrust of his hips.

“Blaze, I’m-I’m gonna…” Rain gasps, knowing it won’t take long for him to cum at this point. The fire ghoul gives a rumbling purr deep in his chest as he leans forward to nip at Rain’s ear.

“Mine, all mine,” he groans, snapping his hips forward harshly as he sucks on the shell of Rain’s ear. “Sweet mate, beautiful mate, cum for me.” Blaze punctuates the panted words with a twist of his hand on Rain’s cock, making the water ghoul moan his name loudly and shudder as he climaxes. He feels Rain’s cock pulse in his hand, streaks of hot cum coating his fingers and dripping to the sheets as his walls clench tight around him. Blaze groans, stroking Rain slowly as he thrusts forward a few more times till he falls over the edge and spends himself deep inside Rain’s ass. With a contented sigh Blaze collapses again Rain’s back, making the lanky ghoul grunt as he’s pressed into the mattress. He gives an apologetic chirp before sliding onto his side, pulling Rain flush against him once his flagging cock slips from his body.

“Love you,” he mumbles, burying his nose in Rain’s hair and inhaling deep the scent of sweat, sex, and mate. Rain trills quietly, purring happily as they wait for their pulse and breathing to regulate. After some time Rain shifts around in Blaze’s arms to kiss his neck and jaw.

“Shower, then food,” Blaze asks, leaning forward and tapping at the point of Rain’s nose with his own gently. Rain chirps assent, following Blaze into the bathroom once he gathers enough energy to remove himself from the bed. As he turns on the hot water he grimaces at the mess of drying cum on his hand, holding it under the stream of slowly heating water to rinse it mostly clean. The water takes its sweet time to heat in this part of the castle and as they wait he examines the bitemark he’d left on Rain’s shoulder the night before, hissing softly as he notes the torn, ragged edges.

“Sorry,” Blaze sighs, though Rain lifts his other shoulder in a shrug.

“’S fine, I like your marks,” Rain chirps, tail swaying gently as he goes to run fingers down the side of Blaze’s face. He starts when he finds his fingers to be wrapped around the crystal, unsure when he’d picked it up. His mind was slowly adjusting to the return of the encased memories, making him feel somewhat off-balance and strange, and he gingerly sets it to the side on the sink.

“Come on, shower, then food,” Blaze prods, giving Rain a tight smile as he winds his tail around the water ghoul’s and tugs gently.

 

\--

“It’s fine, it’ll be alright,” Blaze murmurs, not sure if he’s trying to comfort Rain or himself at this point. The heavy door to Sister Imperator’s office opens and Quinn motions them both inside. Blaze takes a deep breath and places a hand at the small of Rain’s back, urging the timid ghoul to follow him into the office. It’s been over a year since they had last stood in the space, though for the lack of change it seems like it could have been yesterday that he had presented a terrified, malnourished water ghoul to the head of the clergy. They do not settle into the seats placed before her desk, instead standing to attention as they wait for her to address them.

“So,” the elder woman begins, setting aside a stack of papers to give the pair of ghouls an appraising look, “I have been told that there is an… issue, that I might be of assistance with.” Rain hunches in on himself at the calculating look in her eyes, dropping his gaze to his feet as his tail twitches in apprehension.

“Cael and Quinn both strongly recommended we seek you out.” Blaze keeps his tone polite yet clipped. He had no problems with the sister on his own, but he knew the upper levels of the clergy by and large had little or no love for their hellbound brethren, deeming them more tools to be used than living, breathing beings.

“They have both done us the favor and outlined the problem to me already,” Sister informs them, standing and moving around her desk to come before Rain and tilting his head up with a finger at his chin. She makes a quiet sound before tutting quietly, then turns to the fire ghoul and dismisses him with a nod of her head. “You may leave, ghoul.”

“I’d rather stay, Sister.” Blaze bows his head in deference and winds his tails with Rain’s in an effort to ease the anxiety that radiates from his mate.

“Lovely, yet unnecessary. You are dismissed.” The older woman’s voice had a hard edge of finality to it that make’s Blaze’s spine stiffen. He loathes the submissiveness he’s required to show to the clergy, making his insides writhe in anger as he must bow to these weak, inferior creatures.

“I’m staying,” he growls, baring his fangs and letting his fire glitter in his eyes. He hopes to see some spark of fear in Sister Imperator’s face, something more befitting an old, feeble human facing a fire ghoul in his prime yet he is only met with cold, hard indifference.

“I shall not repeat myself for a third time. Do remember your position here, _ghoul_.” Her voice has the same tone and sound, yet there is something else about it, some bit of depth not noticeable before. There’s weight and _power_ in her voice now that sizzles down Blaze’s nerves, searing and caustic and he folds under her stony gaze, bowing deeply despite how it rankles.

“Yes, sister,” he grits out, tail snapping back and forth in agitation once he untangles it from Rain’s. He squeezes the water ghoul’s hand gently and clicks their masks together before stalking from the office, stopping in the hallway once the heavy door thumps shut and snarling wordlessly. Quinn pushes himself off from the wall he was leaning against to clap an arm around the fire ghoul’s shoulder.

“Come on, I’ve got a nice bottle of whisky that I have no intentions of giving back to Cael sitting in my room, and it looks like you might need some of it,” the quintessence ghoul offers, rolling his eyes as Blaze growls at him. “It could be awhile, might as well do something to take your mind off it.”

“Do you know what she’s going to do,” Blaze asks after a moment, when he can finally shove the anger down enough to speak coherently.

“No, but I do know she won’t hurt him.” _Much, or without purpose_ , Quinn thinks, but does not voice that aloud to the worried guitarist as he leads him through the halls to his quarters.

\--

Sister Imperator watches the fire ghoul leave before turning her attention back to the cowering bassist standing before her desk. She gives a quiet sigh and lifts her eyes as she sends a silent prayer to Lucifer for patience; these two had been the center of many a problem in the past year. Noticing how Rain begins to shake slightly now that his mate is absent she shushes him in a quiet voice.

“There, there, you’ve nothing to fear,” she consoles, patting Rain gently on the arm. “The crystal Cael gave you, would you show it to me please?” Rain hesitates before reaching a hand into his cassock and extracting the small crystal from his breast pocket, holding it out in his palm for the sister to take. She looks at it thoughtfully, tapping a finger against her lips as she thinks. Humming quietly she turns and heads back to her desk and scooping up her phone, fingers tapping quickly across the screen. Rain hesitantly curls his fingers back around the crystal before replacing it in the safety of his pocket, confused and anxious as he watches the head Sister of Sin type a lengthy message before settling the device back on her desk.

“Right, follow me now,” she commands, waving for Rain to follow after her. He skitters to obey, guts writhing and knotting in anxiety as he worries about where she is taking him. They travel down the halls quickly, descending down staircases till they reach the bottom basement level. It’s lit now with old electric lights that hum quietly attached to the wall, though the heavy feeling that he remembers from his first venture down here some weeks beforehand still pervades the area. He sticks close behind her, though she sighs heavily and shoots him a stern look when he strays too close and steps on her heel. Rain mumbles a quick apology and stays a few steps back as they wind through the mazelike basement.

Eventually Sister Imperator stops at an old, heavy door adorned in patterns of wrought iron. The miasma here is thick and cloying, and if he had to guess he would say that it seemed like it was emanating from behind the door. Rain can’t help the scared trill that escapes his throat as the sister fishes out her keyring from her pocket, choosing a heavy, ornate iron key decorated to match the mysterious door. He wrings his hands, claws clicking together nervously as she inserts the key into the lock, the mechanisms clunking loudly as she turns it and the hinges screeching loudly from disuse when the door is pulled open. Rain sidesteps the door and peers over her shoulder, watching as sets of ornate glass lamps on the walls spring to life to bathe the dark corridor in glittering firelight.

“Come along,” the sister says, motioning him to follow her into the hallway. With a solemn creak the door swings shut behind them, the lock thumping back into place and sealing them inside. Something feels off in this corridor and Rain worries at his bottom lip as he follows the sister, hunching his shoulders to try and make himself seem smaller on instinct. Glancing around Sister Imperator’s shorter stature he can just make out another door at the end of the corridor and hopes that their journey was almost over. Just before they reach the door the atmosphere shifts again, becoming oppressive and as if the very air is charged with an immense amount of power.

“Oh, oh no,” Rain whimpers, breath catching in his throat as he keens in fear. It’s been well over a year since he’d last felt this, been smothered by the static-y, flowing pulse of power that rushes along the walls and floor in crashing waves, pulling and tugging at him as it shifts and flows. _Hell, we’re in Hell_ , his mind screams, and it’s all he can do to not go running back to the door they entered from screaming. His voice caught Sister Imperator’s attention, pulling her attention away from the new door she had just finished unlocking.

“Ghoul,” she calls, tutting as she watches Rain shudder and trill in distress, his hands coming up to rake his claws against his mask. Rain manages to pry it off, letting the metal covering and balaclava fall to the ground and he scratches his claws through his hair and into his scalp. Sister Imperator closes the distance between them with a few strides, slapping his hands and snapping her fingers in front of his nose. “Stop that, look here,” she commands, though Rain keens and shakes his head, breath coming in short, desperate pants. With an exasperated sound she grasps his chin in one hand, forcibly jerking his head to look directly at her. The seething power suddenly come rushing around them, making Rain whimper and attempt to jerk his head out of her grasp, the desire to flee nearly overriding his conscious thought.

As he’s forced to look Rain’s jaw drops as the air around Sister Imperator shimmers, her matronly figure melting away to reveal one decades younger, all long lines and plush curves. From her head grow a majestic set of spiraling black horns studded with gold rings and chains, precious gems glittering amongst her platinum hair. His mouth works soundlessly as he gawks at her, a mixture of fear and awe cementing him in place.

“Oh, didn’t expect this, did you now,” she chuckles, her voice the same yet different, much more rich and melodious. Her plush red lips pull into an inviting smile and she releases his chin and beckons him forward through the last door. “Come now, dear, we have some important business to discuss.”

Moving seemed almost impossible, but the absolute terror of not obeying her has him scuttling into the room and wringing his hands as he looks around nervously. The room is small but cozy rather than cluttered, a large hearth with a fire crackling merrily casting dim light and warmth throughout. There’s drawers and cabinets lining most of the walls, some of them with glass doors to showcase the various items within. To one side of the room there’s a table with a couple of matching armchairs, and an ornate leather couch against the far wall.

Sister Imperator clicks her tongue, sighing softly and shaking her head. “Poor thing, you were a gentle soul, weren’t you? Not fit for the harsh life down here, for certain. It’s quite a miracle you made it out in as good a condition that you did.” She bustles about the room, filling a kettle from a sink set into a corner alcove before hanging it on a hook and swinging it into the fireplace to boil. She opens a series of cabinets and pulls out the settings for tea, arranging the items on a tray and filling the diffuser of a teapot with a satchel of dried leaves. When the kettle begins to whistle she pulls it from the flames, pouring the scalding water over the tea leaves and letting it steep as she places the empty kettle back in its place.

“Now, here, this should help,” she says, setting the tray on a table of a dark lacquered wood flanked by two matching armchairs. She beckons him into one of the chairs, not hiding her smile as he perches himself on the edge of the cushioned seat, claws gripping his thighs and tail wrapped around his right leg. She takes her seat and goes through the motions of serving the tea, removing the diffuser with the spent leaves and pouring the amber liquid into the two bone china cups, adding a hefty dollop of honey to one and before placing it on a saucer and offering it to the water ghoul. His hands shake as he takes the cup and saucer, the fine china rattling and making his eyes go wide as he hurriedly sets it on the table before him, careful not to spill the tea. His claws click loudly against the delicate surface, making him flinch as he lifts the cup to his lips, sniffing at the tea before taking a careful sip. He tilts his head to the side and looks at it curiously, giving a quiet chirp at the taste.

“Yes, just plain, black tea. What were you expecting,” Sister laughs as she sips at her own tea.

“Something… else?” Rain mumbles, stirring the tea with a little wave of his fingers over the cup. He takes another sip, feeling the warmth of it seep down into his bones and begin to unravel the tension that had settled in his bones the second the miasma of Hell had descended upon him.

“Now, to business.” Sister sets her cup down on the saucer, looking Rain up and down appraisingly. She hums, tapping a clawed finger against her lips in thought. “There’s something tied around you, coating your aura like it’s been dipped in paint.” She hums and rises from her chair, going to a cabinet and rifling through it till she comes up with a wide, flat box. She plucks a few branches of a dried herb from it and strides over to the fireplace, tossing them into the flames. Fragrant smoke fills the air that makes Rain’s head spin and he sneezes, shaking his head to push away the weird feeling that worms down his synapses.

“Oh, my,” Sister exclaims quietly as Rain sneezes again, rubbing at his eyes with the heels of his hands. He blinks rapidly and turns to ask her what was going on, though his breath catches in his throat as he watches the smoke curl and twist in the air, gathering thick in the space next to him in the shape of a small figure hunched down on the woven rug.

“Lux,” he breathes, the crystal in his breast pocket pulsing gently as the smoky apparition looks up and grins at him. Sister moves slowly till she’s next to the ghostly kit, sitting back on her heels and crooning gently.

“Oh, you poor thing. What happened with you,” she asks, beckoning Lux to her. The kit obligingly crawls into her lap, seemingly solid though crafted out of smoke and firelight. They make no sound but another plume of smoke rises as the logs in the fireplace shift and settle, the ritual scene playing out in inky swirls in the air. The tea suddenly tastes of blood and pitch in Rain’s mouth and he shudders, moaning quietly and curling up tightly in the seat of the chair. Sister Imperator gives a heavy sigh, chattering gently to the kit before waving a hand through the haze that hangs heavy in the air, Lux’s figure dissolving in a silent rush.

“Well then,” Sister tuts, standing and brushing her hands off briskly. “We’ve a good bit of work yet, and I need to set a few more rules to be followed.” She runs her claws soothingly through Rain’s hair, enticing him to unfurl and pressing the teacup back into his hands. He keeps his knees drawn up to his chest, tail clutched around them tightly, eyes wide and distant as he sips at the still-hot drink. She settles back in her chair and finishes her own tea in silence, eyes hooded as she pieces together a plan of action.

“You, you’re…” Rain stutters, peeking at her over his knees. His mouth works soundlessly as he tries to pick the correct words, though his tongue cannot seem to find them. _Brood mother, dark matron, Our Lady of Night and Desire._ She had many names, enough to fill pages in a book, and was worshipped by the ghouls with a reverence that almost rivaled their devotion to Lucifer himself.

“Hmm? Yes, indeed,” she purrs, giving the water ghoul a warm, somewhat seductive smile. “It was only fitting that I be chosen to watch carefully over our intrepid little church.” Sister pours herself another cup of tea, sighing in bliss as she savors the amber drink.

“Um…” Rain shifts in his seat, letting his feet settle into the floor and sitting up, holding out his cup for a refill of his own. “Is… er, _were_ , Papa… any of them, like, uh… like you?” He takes the refilled cup with a respectful bow of his head, taking a sip and swaying gently at the sweetness of the honey in it.

“Oh, a demon, you mean?” Sister laughs at the awkward hang of Rain’s head as he bites his lip and stares into his teacup. “No, they are actually quite what they seem. They are bestowed a few… _gifts_ from our infernal majesty but they are all still human, through and through.” With a quiet smile she hums, enjoying her tea as she watches Rain finish his second cup and his natural curiosity begin to finally return as he becomes accustomed to her presence.

“You should get some cookies, or little cakes to go with the tea,” he mumbles, craning his head to look at a portrait hanging on the wall. It’s of a younger man with short black hair, looking suave and regal in red cardinal’s robes. The mismatched eyes point him out to be one of the Papas, but which Rain has no real clue. He’s only met Papa Nihil in his short stent on the surface, though he has caught a few glimpses of the embalmed corpses that went with the band on display of the previous three.

“Oh? Pray tell where I’d acquire them from, without raising suspicion,” Sister asks, noting his interest in the painting. Rain hums and gingerly sets his teacup and saucer back on the table, tail swishing back and forth in a gentle movement.

“Aether bakes quite nicely, so does Mistral. I’m sure if you asked they’d make you something.” He tilts his head after a moment, seeming to contemplate something before he shuffles in his seat nervously. “Is… is this something kept secret? I mean… f-from everyone?”

“Unfortunately, yes. A few select, devoted ghouls know my… true self,” Sister Imperator sighs, leaning back in her chair and watching Rain rub his claws together in nervousness. “You seem a trustworthy sort, though, so I believe my secret is safe with you, hm? And you seem smart enough not to mention anything we’ve spoken of to anyone else.” Rain flinches and chirps, nodding quickly as his eyes widen for fear of disobeying her. She can’t help but chuckle at him, rising from her seat to stand next to his chair and running her claws through his hair again. The water ghoul sighs and melts into her touch, leaning into her hand and purring quietly at the soothing motion.

“We’ll need to make a short trip later, then we can perform a ritual to set you back to rights. So we need you to hang on for just a few days longer, can you do that for me,” she croons, running a finger across his cheekbone and down the side of his face to cup his chin. Rain turns his eyes upwards to her, the blue orbs glittering like sunlight on tropical waters as he nods. Sister Imperator gives him another warm smile before leaning down and pressing a soft kiss to his forehead, motioning for him to rise and follow as she pulls away. “Much as I have enjoyed this little excursion, I believe it’s time to get you back to your mate. Quinn should have kept him sufficiently occupied but the old ones can be so jittery without their other halves nearby.”

Back in the hallway Rain remembers his mask and balaclava, still lying on the floor where he’d abandoned them earlier. He dons the two pieces as the Sister locks her secret room back up, shifting the metal mask and rearranging the balaclava to cover himself properly till she joins him again. She reaches out to brush a bit of dust from the mask and adjust it gently before striding down the corridor, Rain following on her heels. He gives a surprised gasp as they walk over the invisible threshold back to the surface world, eyes widening as Sister’s glamor snaps back into place perfectly and seamlessly.

“Well, let us be on our way then,” she sighs, pushing open the heavy old door and emerging back into the catacombs of the castle.

\--

It’s a seemingly large party assembled in the ritual chamber, Omega standing calmly at the lectern flipping idly through the pages of the tome as they wait for the remaining participants. Rain shifts uneasily, clutching onto Blaze’s arm, huddling away from the gazes of the other ghouls. Alpha, Air, Quinn, and the small earth ghoul Rain occasionally saw around the castle grounds were all going with them, making Rain wonder why so many of the old ghouls had been selected.

The quiet hum of conversation goes silent when Sister Imperator enters the chamber, nodding at Omega to open a portal for them. Power flares in the air, humming electric as the elder quintessence ghoul drags his claws in the space before him, sketching glyphs in purple and black lines of aether. There’s a brief hint of ozone to the air as the portal shimmers then snaps open, anchored into the lines of the inscribed pentagram on the stone floor and the hot, acrid scent of brimstone billows out from the yawning chasm before them. Rain trills softly, huddling closer to his mate and pressing the face of his mask into Blaze’s chest.

“Right, off we go,” Sister commands, motioning her hand forward and Alpha springs through the portal first, eyes alert and tail twitching cautiously. Air and Earth are next through, the tall ghoul having to duck his head to clear the top edge of it, followed by Sister Imperator. Blaze hums and pulls Rain gently after him, stepping into the smothering heat and power of the caverns, slinging an arm over Rain’s shoulders to help ground the water ghoul. Quinn in the last through the gate, turning to inscribe the concealment glyph in the air to safely tuck the portal away from any prying eyes.

“Shh, it’s fine, I’m here,” Blaze croons reassuringly to Rain, rubbing gentle circles on his back with his thumb. Rain shivers and nods, linking their tails together before turning to find Sister Imperator. She’s already shed her human glamor and stood tall and proud as she confers with Air. Blaze takes notice of her new form and stiffens, sucking in a deep, surprised breath, unsure how to react to this new revelation. It seems that he catches her eye, as she glances at him and gives a sly grin before motioning for Air to lead the group onwards.

Air bows his head respectfully to the Sister and takes the lead, his knowledge of the caverns and the swirling tides of power proving him to be the natural choice to lead the way through the tunnels. He walked with confidence, head held high as he navigated the halls, pausing momentarily at intersections to tilt his head and taste the air before choosing a direction to follow. When the close walls widen, then give way to an enormous cavern Rain stops, pulse hammering and panting for air as panic closes in.

“This… This is…,” he whimpers, claws rising to scratch at his mask unconsciously. Blaze pulls him close, murmuring soft assurances and trying to bolster him with his confidence through their bond. Rain shudders, trilling quietly in distress but allowing his mate to urge him along and keep following the group. The old fire ghoul shoots a glare at Sister Imperator; for all that she was their Infernal Lady and he followed her as he followed Lucifer himself, he did not like how whatever it was she was scheming seemed to hurt his mate. Another minute or two of walking and they came upon the village, a small collection of squat huts made of clay and rushes.

“Go, gather the clan,” Sister commands, motioning to Alpha and Air who bow before striding into the village to do her bidding. She nods at Earth to now take the lead. “You know where to go now, dear. By all means.” The small ghoul inclines his head and leads the small group back around the village to the small graveyard, weaving through markers till he stops at one that is unadorned safe for a small rock with a bit of quartz embedded in it placed on the edge.

The crystal in Rain’s breast pocket hums as he stares at the grave, a light tremble beginning in his core till his entire body was shaking. The familiarity of the place, though he has no concrete memory of this exact spot, burns hot and searing in his mind, constricting his chest and making it hard to breathe. With shaking hands he pulls off his mask and balaclava, clutching them tightly to his middle as he shuffles forward to kneel on the soft ground. Tears drip down his cheek as he keens, the little bit stitched into his soul that wasn’t actually his own ringing in tandem with the crystal, reaching out for the bones laid beneath the earth.

There’s a quiet murmur from behind them as the clan begins to gather, curious chirps and trills from the water ghouls at who and why they had been summoned. Rain scrubs his cheeks dry on his coat sleeves, pulling his balaclava and mask back on before taking a deep, shaky breath. Blaze takes one of his hands in his own, threading their fingers and tails together in a show of strength and closeness, before they fall into place behind the Sister as she turns to address the tiny population of the village. A collective gasp goes through the villagers as they recognize her, her power flaring hot and smothering over the area as they drop to their knees and prostrate themselves before her.

“I thought I had made myself clear some centuries ago,” Sister Imperator states, levelling her gaze at the assembled ghouls, eyes glittering dark with anger, “that these… rituals, rites, and spells that call for the death or harm of an aether ghoul were to each and all be ceased.” She paces around the assemblage, eyes picking the crowd apart as they all hunch forward and look submissively at their feet. “You can imagine, then, how very, _very_ angry I am, to find that not only did you destroy that kit in a fruitless attempt at… Lucifer knows what, but that in the process you have nearly ruined centuries of my hard work.” She turns and beckons to Rain, who wanders over to her uneasily, shoulders hunched forward and tail tucked between his legs. She clucks at him gently, running a soothing hand down the side of his mask.

“Tell me, dear one, who was it that commanded that ritual.” Her voice is quiet, rich like velvet. Rain chews on his bottom lip nervously, terrified even now to speak out of anything concerning that night so many years prior. He can’t make the words come, no matter how hard he tries, shaking his head nervously, awaiting what punishment Sister would level on him for his refusal. “There, there, nothing to worry about,” she croons, fingers slipping under his mask to cup his jaw gently. “Go back to your mate then, they’ll just have to speak up themselves.”

Relief washes over him as Rain nods, nearly tripping over his feet as he all but runs back to huddle against Blaze’s chest. The fire ghoul hums, wrapping his arms protectively around the trembling water ghoul and casting a hooded gaze amongst the assembled clan.

“So, who was it,” Sister asks the gathered ghouls, voice tight with anger and impatience. “I’ll give you one chance to come forward yourself before I take more… _drastic_ measures.” The assemblage is dead silent and still but for miniscule movements of eyes and heads as they look amongst each other. “Nothing? Well, then, that can only mean you are _all_ to be held accountable and punished then.”

“ _No, please,_ ” a ghoul calls out, rising from the kneeling ghouls and shuffling forward, keeping his eyes lowered out of respect and fear. “ _Mistress, I… I was the one who… who conducted that ritual._ ” A small sound of recognition comes from Rain’s throat and he presses himself as close as he could to Blaze’s chest, hiding his face in the crook of his neck.

“Very good, now,” Sister nods then gives a sharp hand gesture. The ghoul’s back arcs and his eyes bulge, mouth opening to either breathe or scream though neither seem to happen. Tendrils of power answer Sister Imperator’s call, slithering unseen through the cavern to wrap around the prone ghoul. A shudder and a low, pained sound was the only warning before a series of wet cracks and snaps sound, the ghouls arms and fingers contorting as bones begin to break. Long lines appear across his skin as the power digs inside and begins to unravel his flesh, muscles falling apart into fibrous strands, bones collapsing and falling apart as the connective tissues and tendons dissolve and slough off. The whole affair lasts for maybe a minute, though to the ghouls watching rapt with terror it was a lifetime before the ghoul was but a wet mass twitching and steaming on the rocks.

“Blaze, if you would please,” Sister asks, and the fire ghoul gives her a deep bow before locking his hooded gaze on the remains of the ghoul that had visited a vast amount of the trauma that plagued his mate. He gives a satisfied smirk before extending a hand and snapping his fingers; the ambient power leaps to do his bidding and the pile of meat catches fire quicker than if it had been doused in gasoline. The flames hungrily devour him, a great plume of oily black smoke rising from the impromptu bonfire. After another minute the fire dies down, leaving naught but a pile of smoking ash where once was a living, breathing soul.

“Now, I do hope my message has been well received this time. From henceforth, any aether ghouls that are found, kits or otherwise, are to be directed me immediately. Air will give you the means to do so.” Sister Imperator gestures to the tall old ghoul, who nods sagely and directs the water ghouls to follow him back into the heart of the village.

“I’ve one last errand to attend, finish our business here and return to the castle. I’ll speak with you all later,” Sister informs the rest of her ghoulish escort, who all nod to her respectfully. By the time they lift their gazes again she’s gone without a trace. Earth mutters something under his breath as he heads back to kneel at the foot of the unmarked grave, going still as he digs his fingers into the soil and communes with his element. Quinn follows, pulling out a bundled cloth from a bag slung over his shoulder.

“What’s going on,” Rain asks in a hushed voice, glancing up at Blaze with wide blue eyes. Without the assembly watching them Rain pulls his mask and balaclava off, the coverings feeling claustrophobic as his anxiety winds high. Blaze begins to mention what little knowledge he has of the ritual Sister Imperator intended, though the words die in his mouth as one of the water ghoulettes approaches them nervously.

“ _Excuse me,_ ” she asks, Rain turning at the interruption. Blaze recognizes her from when he had retrieved the scrying mirror and bares his fangs behind his mask.

“ _M-mother_?” Rain chirps as he begins to shake again, mask and balaclava falling to the ground. The old ghoulette’s eyes go wide in shock, then begin to glisten wetly.

“ _It **is** you, my child, my poor sweet boy,”_ she gasps, stepping forward with her arms outstretched. Blaze pulls Rain back flush against him and away from her grasp, growling deep in his throat. Rain flinches and trills in distress, caught between the two ghouls and not knowing what to do.

“ _He’s my son, let him go,_ ” the ghoulette pleads, “ _I’ve spent all these years thinking he’s dead and then… now he’s…”_

“ _His name is Rain_ ,” Blaze snarls, wrapping his arms around the terrified water ghoul possessively. The ghoulette gives him a wide-eyed look but nods slowly, giving Rain a gentle smile.

“ _It fits him well, I think._ ” She takes a timid step forward, reaching a hand forward but waiting for Rain to close the gap with pleading eyes. The timid ghoul gives a quick glance up at his companion before edging closer, finally letting the tension melt from his shoulders as she wraps him in a tight hug. He finds it both comforting and somewhat strange; he’s taller than her now, the last time he’d seen her he had been maybe eleven years old and a tiny thing, barely reaching her waist as he clutched at her skirts.

“ _I’m… I’m so happy you’re alive,”_ she whispers, stroking fingers through his coarse hair. “ _Forgive me what happened, I didn’t mean to hurt you.”_

“ _I know,_ ” Rain sighs, having always known his mother loved him dearly. But she’d been a lone ghoulette without a partner and with a small kit that ended up being nothing but trouble, leaving her to crumple under the collective disapproval of the clan and blindly follow their demands. Rain hears Blaze snort angrily and can practically feel him rolling his eyes in exasperation at the exchange, filling him with a sudden need to try and defend his mother’s actions.

“ _Who is your… friend, here,_ ” his mother asks, saving Rain from thinking about how he was going to explain the strange intricacies of his former clan when he could barely make sense of them himself. Rain shuffles to the side, pulling away from the gentle embrace to hold a hand out to the fire ghoul. Blaze takes his mask and balaclava off, the normally honey-colored eyes glittering yellow and orange like tiny flames as he draws near and takes Rain’s hand, pressing his lips to the back and palm both in a quick kiss.

“ _This is Blaze,_ ” Rain chirps quietly, voice happy as his cheeks tinge red with a shy embarrassment, “ _He’s my… my, um, mate._ ” His mother’s eyes go wide, mouth falling open in a soundless ‘oh’. She blinks, then bows deeply at the waist.

“ _Thank you, for taking care of my son,_ ” she murmurs, her eyes shimmering wetly as she gives Blaze a grateful smile. Blaze hums in reply, stepping close to nuzzle at Rain’s neck and bury his nose in his hair, not bothering to give her a verbal response. As Rain goes to speak again another ghoulette calls out from the circle of huts, beckoning the old ghoulette back to the clan.

“ _I must go. Perhaps you could come visit, sometime later? Please?_ ” Rain nods, chirping quietly as she hugs him again, pressing a kiss to his cheek before hurrying back to the water ghouls. Blaze gives another snort, already determined he doesn’t want to come back to this place ever again and ready to forbid Rain from doing so as well. As if he could sense the obstruction Rain turns and nuzzles at his neck, taking a deep breath and inhaling Blaze’s scent.

“What,” Rain gasps, eyes drawn back to the gravesite, “Is that… is that…” The water ghoul begins shaking again, the crystal in his pocket almost vibrating in response, as he watches Earth and Quinn work. Quinn had laid out the cloth on the ground next to the grave and was sitting back on his heels, patiently watching Earth. The ground rumbled quietly and the soil churned till something small rose from the depths of the grave to come to a rest on top of the soil. Rain sucks in a sharp breath, keening quietly as his eyes go wide as he recognizes the small skeleton curled upon itself.

“Lux,” he breathes, tears spilling over his cheeks again as his soul throbs in pain. Blaze croons softly, pulling Rain close and curling around him protectively.

“It’s ok, it’s fine,” he soothes, carding fingers gently through Rain’s hair, trying to offer comfort and moving to obscure the view as Quinn begins to gently move the bony remains of the ghoul kit onto the unfurled cloth. “It’s necessary for the ritual. And then we can give them a proper burial at the church, give them the final honors they deserve, alright?” Rain whimpers softly, eventually giving a shaky nod but unable to watch as Quinn folds the cloth in a very specific way and cradles the bundle to his chest as if it were still yet a living, breathing creature.

“Come on, lets go back home,” Blaze murmurs, wiping the tears from Rain’s face and helping him don his balaclava and mask before placing his own back on his head. He keeps and arm around the water ghoul’s waist as the group reassembles and makes the trek back to the portal, the journey thankfully uneventful.

\--

Rain shifts uneasily as he stands before the ritual chamber doors, bringing his hands up to bite at his claws. Blaze clicks his tongue and takes the shaking hands gently in his own, running his thumbs along Rain’s knuckles.

“It’ll be fine, don’t worry,” the fire ghoul soothes, voice a quiet rumble. He’s not sure if he’s nervous on his own or if Rain’s is so strong he’s mirroring it through their bond, but either way his stomach churns and he feels like throwing up. They thankfully don’t have to wait long before the four quintessence ghouls appear, Omega leading the small group as the other three carry various items in their arms. The eldest ghoul nods to Blaze and Rain before pushing the heavy doors open and snapping his fingers, purple and black flames bursting to life on the multitude of candles around the chamber and bathing it in pale fey light.

“May I stay,” Blaze asks Omega, wanting to be there for his mate through the ritual to try and offer some small bit of comfort to Rain and himself both.

“You can sit in the right corner by the door but know that no matter what you see or hear you cannot interfere, understood,” Omega acquiesces, nodding to the other three aether ghouls to begin preparation for the ritual. Blaze takes a deep breath before nodding quickly.

“Will it—”

“We never know for sure,” the old quintessence ghoul murmurs, watching with arms clasped at the small of his back as Cael takes a rod with a piece of some special chalk attached to the end and begins walking the lines of the circle they would need. The slight ghoul inscribes the lines with a fluid precision, lips moving soundlessly as he walks, careful not to step on the chalk lines as he scrawls the proper glyphs at specific points. He steps back and surveys his handiwork once done, adding small adjustments here and there till he deems the circle perfect and places the rod on a side table against a wall.

“Help him undress, we’ll start soon as the last preparations are made,” Omega says, voice already gone cold and distant as he begins to commune with his element, leaving the fire ghoul and joining Aether at the altar set at the head of the room. Blaze watches as the two quintessence ghouls confer as Aether mixes something in a shallow bowl, Omega nodding along and commenting at certain points before reaching out and touching a few of the vials that were arranged in the case Aether had brought into the chamber. The fire ghoul shakes his head slightly and turns to Rain, the lanky ghoul’s wide eyes darting back and forth across the chamber anxiously.

“Here, let me help,” Blaze murmurs, tapping Rain’s hand to get his attention. The water ghoul jumps slightly, chittering softly as he bends over to remove his shoes, spats, and socks. Blaze sets them on the floor next to the small side table before helping Rain undo his fascia and cassock, his steady fingers managing the buttons much more quickly than Rain would have been able. He folds the items carefully as the water ghoul shimmies out of his pants and underwear, handing them off to Blaze as he arranges them all neatly on the side table with his mask and balaclava perched on top. The fire ghoul removes his own mask, holding it under his arm so he can nuzzle at Rain’s neck gently, whispering reassurances into his ear.

“It’ll be okay Rainy,” he croons, reaching a hand up to cup the side of his mate’s face, thumb tracing his cheekbone. Rain makes a quiet, terrified sound in the back of his throat, looking up to lock eyes with Blaze, the blue color of them bright and almost metallic with emotion. The fire ghoul trills softly and presses a gentle kiss to his forehead, stepping close and pulling Rain flush against him and twining their tails together, trying his best to be calm and comforting for him. Looking to the side he watches as Cael strips himself of his fascia and cassock, fiddling with his glasses as Omega and Aether recap and replace the vials into their case. They both have a small bowl in hand and Aether goes to stand before the curly haired quintessence ghoul, Omega slowly approaching Rain. Despite how Blaze wishes he could stay curled around Rain through the entire process he knows that he must withdraw to the corner, lifting Rain’s chin with a finger to kiss him soundly before disentangling themselves. The fire ghoul settles back into the corner, looking over to his left to see Quinn ensconced in the one flanking the other side of the door. The big, dour-faced ghoul gives him a nod and they both turn their attention to the ritual.

Omega and Aether begin chanting, voices low and drone-like, movements synced as they stand before Rain and Cael. Their fingers wave over the small bowl cradled in their left hand, eventually dipping inside and coming up glistening with oil. Their voices slowly become louder, and while Blaze can finally make out the words they’re in a language he has no notion of, the cadence off but riveting. They reach forward, pressing fingertips to the middle of each ghoul’s forehead, gently inscribing a glyph with the fragrant oil before dragging lines down between their eyes to the tip of their noses. The fingers dip into the oil again then are pressed to lips, skating down their chin and throat to sketch another symbol in the small hollow where neck meets shoulders. After another dip in oil the fingers trace their collarbones in gentle sweeps, converging in the center again before dragging down and splaying out to draw a large, intricate glyph over their hearts. Blaze watches, utterly transfixed, as the two quintessence ghouls perfectly mime each other, as if they were one mind in two bodies, everything from the tiniest motions of their hands of their breathing in perfect synchronization as they mark symbols and lines down Rain and Cael’s arms and palms. Even when Aether steps back and hands off his bowl to Cael the rhythm is kept, not a single hitch happening as Omega continues to scribe in oil the lower half of Rain’s body, the water ghoul shivering as thick, calloused fingers draw on the sensitive skin of his groin just above the base of his cock before skirting around to trace down his thighs to his knees.

Glancing back to Cael, Blaze watches as the smaller quintessence ghoul kneels just outside part of the inscribed circle, a bundle of dark cloth laid inside one of the smaller inner circles that he hadn’t noticed there beforehand. Cael’s quiet voice had taken up Aether’s chant, reaching out to slowly unveil the small skeleton held within the cloth. Blaze’s heart lurches in his chest as he watches Cael’s long fingers inscribe matching symbols on the ivory of Lux’s bones, a quick glance at Rain tells him the water ghoul must have been put in some kind of trance to not notice this development. Once Omega has drawn the last glyph on the ball of Rain’s feet he rises, then motions for the water ghoul to move into the circle. Rain obeys without hesitation, movements smooth and slow as if following the silent beat of the quintessence ghouls chanting. He enters the main inner circle, having perfectly avoided stepping on any lines in the process, gracefully folding down onto his knees and tilting his head back slightly. Omega and Aether move to the front and back points of the circle, fingers flashing through the air in front of them as they sign glyphs with shimmering lines of power, the atmosphere filling with a crackling, humming power that dances along Blaze’s skin.

Cael rises, stepping over to take the bowl from Omega then placing both on the table against the wall. Returning to the edge of the circle all three quintessence ghouls chant, the sound fluctuating and shifting, becoming deep and melodious, reverberating with the gathering aetheric power. A feeling of static sparking against his skin blankets across Blaze, making him shudder and shake his head to try and clear it. When he looks back up his breath catches in his throat, eyes widening as the air is filled with glittering strings of gold, dazzling and mesmerizing as they flowed on an invisible current. Once the shock has died down he’s able to see that the strings flow from and wind all about Rain’s figure, a multitude of them forming thick braided strands that reach out towards him. _Our bond_ , Blaze thinks, marveling at it and repressing the desire to reach out and touch it, to run his fingers over it lovingly.

Upon closer inspection he finds that some threads had kinks in them, as if they’d been cut then knotted back together, others having frayed ends entirely. Cael flexes his fingers as the three ghouls speak a word of power and the threads flash with a momentary brightness then resume their original state, though now colors begin to bloom along them. Blaze notes how their bond bleeds into a mix of brilliant blue amid streaks of orange, red, and yellow, the colors pulsing gently to the shared beat of their hearts. Looking at the others he finds the strands that reach out to the inert bundle of bones to be mostly gold with streaks of purple and blue, the colors of Lux’s eyes that he remembers so vividly from his short journey through Rain’s psyche. The frayed strands, he notes, have turned a vivid, angry red, flecked with pulsing splotches of deep, impenetrable black. And then there were ones of a dark, insidious color, mostly black but shimmering with an oil-like film, the pearlescent shine more telling of infection and pain than something beautiful and wholesome. These were long threads wrapping tightly around his body, some seeming to pierce straight through him while others created a choking collar around his neck. The sight of them makes Blaze’s stomach turn, claws digging into the hard metal of his mask as he closes his eyes and takes a few deep, calming breaths. _He’s dead, the one who did this to him. Your flames devoured him whole, feasted on his flesh and agony._ The thought is a small comfort, allowing him to repress the anger and turn his attention back to the ritual.

Cael shuffles forward, stepping across the lines of the circle to stand in the small space between Rain and the bones. His eyes glitter like amethysts in bright sunshine, glowing with the light of aetheric power that flows through and around him. His voice drops from the chant as he reaches out, long, thin fingers caressing the threads clustered around Rain with a gentle touch. Blaze watches a shiver run down Rain’s spine, can feel the small jump in his pulse though their bond. Cael stays his hand, letting Rain adjust to the sensation before taking up one of the frayed threads, tracing it down to where it seems to connect near Rain’s heart then slicing through the base with a sharp claw in a smooth motion. Rain inhales sharply, the sound loud even over the droned chanting. Blaze can’t feel anything through their bond, but nevertheless concentrates on a steady calmness, hoping that the sensations flows through their bond to help bolster the water ghoul. The small quintessence ghoul picks up speed, slicing off the destroyed and infected threads with surgical precision, the strands floating off and dissolving away as they’re cut from Rain’s body.

When Cael reaches the blackened, dead-looking threads Blaze notes how many of them twine around the coils connecting Rain and Lux. His stomach drops as he watches the quintessence ghoul slice free the first one, a spike of pain echoing through the bond. Rain stays still, however, despite the sharpness of the agony the amputation causes, seemingly held in place by the spell that the quintessence ghouls had wrought around him. Blaze can feel his own soul pulse in sympathy, forcing him to close his eyes as Cael begins the slow, arduous process of severing the ruined bond. He does not know how long it takes, for all he can understand they’ve been there for hours, days even. A prickling in the energy around them catches his attention and Blaze opens his eyes, finding Cael working on the last few strands.

The thin ghoul looked ragged, skin pale and shiny with sweat, seeming even more gaunt than he’d started off. As he severs the last thread he presses his thumb gently to Rain’s forehead, speaking quietly then standing straight. His voice joins Aether and Omega as they speak in unison, motioning with their hands in the air then clapping them together sharply. The static in the air gives a pulse then fades, the shining threads dissolving as the aether is allowed to flow as it sees fit, untied from the confines of the ritual. Blaze watches as Rain’s shoulders slump and he begins to shiver, Cael taking a few steps away before his knees give out entirely. Luckily Quinn darts forward, catching the small ghoul before he hits the floor and cradling him gently to his chest. Omega nods at him when Blaze catches his eye, waving a hand toward Rain to acknowledge that he can return to his mate.

Blaze’s legs ache and tingle, initially refusing to work when he rises from the floor. Grunting, he takes a heavy step forward, shaking out the feeling of pins and needles as blood rushes back to the limbs. Hissing quietly he stumbles and hobbles forward, dropping to his knees next to Rain and pulling him into his arms. The water ghoul is pliant, breathing slowly and eyes closed, skin slightly warmer than is typical for him but otherwise seems unharmed on the surface. Blaze croons quietly, curling around him and carding a hand through his hair gently, waiting for him to wake from the trance.

\--

A hand caresses the side of his face, warm and comforting. Rain blinks his eyes open to find his head cradled in Lux’s lap, the pale ghoul beaming down at him. They look just as he remembers from the fever dream, not the small kit he knew so well but the older, grown up ghoul that he’d lived with in a hallucination.

“I’m so sorry,” they murmur, smile turning sad as their eyes shimmer wetly.

“No, don’t.” Rain reaches up to cup their face gently, thumbs swiping away the tears that escape and streak down their cheeks. “It’s okay, I understand.”

“Always so forgiving,” Lux chuckles, closing their eyes and purring happily when Rain rises and shuffles forward to press their foreheads together. “But, I am sorry. I didn’t mean for you to hurt so much. But I… I just couldn’t help being selfish, even for just a bit.”

“But, you were happy, weren’t you?” Lux takes a deep breath and nods, opening their eyes again to gaze into the endless blue of Rain’s as he smiles at them. “Then it was worth it, and I‘d not choose any different if I could.” The water ghoul presses a soft kiss to Lux’s forehead, nuzzling into the tangled mop of white curls of their hair. They giggle quietly before pulling away, cupping Rain’s chin in their palm and running their thumb along the edge of his bottom lip.

“I’ll see you again, someday,” they promise, leaning forward to press their lips together. Rain sighs and melts into the touch, leaning forward as he parts his lips and deepens the kiss.

It’s the best, and only, goodbye he can give them.

\--

It feels like waking from a dream, reality feeling odd and heavy as his mind fights to readjust. Rain tries to speak, hand unconsciously reaching out to grasp for the fading remnants of Lux before he realizes it, voice coming out in a quiet whimper. His palm instead connects to something solid and warm; after blinking for a moment he finds that it’s Blaze’s chest, and the fire ghoul takes his hand in his own gently.

“Hey, it’s fine, it’s okay,” the old ghoul whispers, shifting him so that Rain is nearly entirely enfolded in his embrace. The water ghoul shivers; while Blaze is warm as a crackling fire in a hearth everything else seems to impart a bone-deep chill that has Rain shivering violently in a matter of moments. Blaze pulls away from him long enough to retrieve his clothes, helping Rain pull them back on before gathering him close again. He looks over to Omega who simply nods before hurrying from the chamber quick as he can, wanting to get Rain back to their nest and cuddled up close under their blankets soon as can be managed.

\--

“He seems… fine. A little lost, sometimes, but nothing like before.” Blaze swirls the whisky in his glass thoughtfully, watching from across the room as Quinn fusses over Cael. The smaller quintessence ghoul honestly still looked a hairsbreadth from death, even after two solid days of rest since the ritual. His flesh was sallow and pulled tight across his bones, hair oily and limp though his eyes were brighter than ever. He gives blaze a wan smile, trying in vain to shoo Quinn away from hovering over his shoulder.

“Good, seems that it worked out just fine, then. Any backlash would have surfaced by now, so it’s good to know that everything worked according to plan.” Cael shifts, wrinkling his nose at the mug of herbal tea Quinn pressed into his hands. “I’m not a child, I can look after myself,” the quintessence ghoul mumbles, giving Quinn a half-hearted glare when the old ghoul snorts and rolls his eyes.

“What was it, though,” Blaze asks. Since watching the ritual he’d had a strange curiosity of what exactly had happened.

“They didn’t mean it maliciously,” Cael begins, sighing as he gives in and sips gingerly at the tea. “The water ghouls truly meant to help Rain, the spell was, from what I can gather, designed to… I guess meld them together, to take the strong parts of one and fuse them with the strong parts of the other? The language is tricky, hard to describe. Instead it ended up forcing something along the veins to a mate bond. Which is why, even in death, Lux remained so firmly anchored in Rain’s psyche from such a young age. Perhaps they would have bonded each other once they became of age, but… well, there’s no telling that for sure.” Blaze takes a deep breath before nodding, sipping quietly on his whisky.

“And now…?”

“We had to sever the bond in its entirety. It had been damaged beyond repair, it was the pivotal point that allowed the… hm, I’m not quite sure how to put this, but, it allowed the corruption, I guess, to seep in from the aether.”

Blaze grunts in reply, not quite understanding Cael and not in the mood to really try and understand it at this point. Draining the last of his whisky he rises after placing the crystal glass on the table. “Thank you, again, for all of your help,” he says, bowing his head respectfully to the small ghoul. “I owe you one.”

“Careful, I might call that in one day,” Cael laughs, waving weakly as he watches the fire ghoul leave, intent on rejoining his mate in their nest.

\--

They bury Lux two days later, once Cael had recovered enough that Quinn would let him be alone for a couple hours without supervision. The weather is terrible, a cold downpour that soaks through no matter how many layers of clothes to sap the warmth from their bones. Yet despite this, Rain finds it oddly fitting for a funeral. He stands with just the quintessence ghoul at the gravesite, having asked Blaze to let him do this one thing on his own, the fire ghoul reluctantly agreeing.

The bundle of black cloth cradled in Quinn’s arms seems entirely too small, and the small grave too big for it. Quinn had dug it himself, beneath a small cherry tree in the back corner of the church graveyard. The limbs were barren of leaves for the season, seeming stark and thin against the dark gray of the clouded sky. The old quintessence ghoul kneels gently on the muddy ground to lay the bundle down in the earth then stepping to the side and allowing Rain to shuffle forward.

The cold rain drips down his head, washing away the hot tears that fall from his eyes. The words he’d thought about, had spent an entire day so carefully composing die on his tongue, leaving him to instead chatter a string of half-gibberish nonsense as he wrings his hands. After some time he nods to Quinn, who takes up the shovel nearby and fills the small grave with sodden earth.

“They can rest easy, now,” the bigger ghoul reassures him, placing a hand on Rain’s shoulder. Rain hadn’t known till the day before that Quinn oversaw the clergy’s dead, from the graveyards and ossuary to the services and even embalming. Before he’d been nervous, even scared, by the scarred old ghoul, though now he found a calming peace in his presence. Rain nods, standing for a few moments longer in the drenching rain before allowing Quinn to guide him back to the dry warmth of the church.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This was supposed to end here, but I've got a little something extra to add in as an epilogue, so stay tuned~~~


	3. Epilogue

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> An Ending.

 “BLAZE, WAKE UP,” Aether’s voice echoes through the door, rousing the fire ghoul from his sleep. He grumbles as Rain wakes with a fearful chirp and struggles against his arms and the blanket wrapped around them. “BLAZE, CAEL NEEDS US, GET DRESSED!”

The urgency of the quintessence ghoul’s voice drags him fully awake and he rolls out of bed and leaps for his dresser, throwing on a fresh uniform as fast as his claws can do up the buttons without breaking any. He stuffs his mask over his head and darts from the room, Rain chattering worriedly and following on his heels.

“The fuck is going on,” Ember mumbles, hair down in a tangled disarray and blinking blearily as he stumbles after the nearly frantic aether ghoul.

“No time, just follow. You two stay here,” Aether snaps, grabbing Blaze’s arm and dragging him from the apartment and motioning for Ember and Rain to stay put before slamming the door behind him.

“Satanas, what’s wrong,” Blaze asks, jerking his hand from Aether’s grasp and jogging to keep pace.

“I’m… not exactly sure, but Cael was… was insistent, very distraught, when he summoned us. He didn’t give details, just get to the portal room, he said. Figured if he’s calling all four of us, we’ll need an escort if we’re going through Hell.” Blaze is confused for a few moment before he remembers that the quintessence ghouls all share a telepathic bond amongst each other to communicate. He grunts in reply, not bothering trying to pry any more information from the younger ghoul, intent instead on getting it from the source.

As he expected, Alpha was in the portal room, slumped in a corner and looking thoroughly irritated as Omega and Cael flipped through the tome on the lectern, the slighter quintessence ghoul already chanting words and dragging his claws through the air in the patterns of intricate glyphs. Blaze wanders over to Quinn, who was checking over a baldric strapped over his chest, the hilt of a claymore jutting over his right shoulder.

“Can you tell me what the fuck is going on,” Blaze asks, eyeing the well-worn grip of the sword pointedly. Quinn grunts and shrugs, rolling his shoulders to see that the weapon stays in its proper place.

“Cael woke me up not twenty minutes ago, babbling nonsense and ordering me to arm myself and get down here,” the stone-faced ghoul grumbles.

“You didn’t question him?”

“When Cael slams into my room and wrestles me awake, blood dripping from his nose and telling me to grab weapons, I don’t ask questions; I grab weapons and I follow,” Quinn snaps, shooting a glare at the fire ghoul. Blaze hears Alpha snort a laugh, having no doubt been through the same exchange before Aether and Blaze had joined the group. “Look, all I know is that he was scrying and saw something important enough he’s got all of us in a tizzy. I’m here to keep them safe, just like you and Alpha, and leave all the other shit to them.”

Blaze goes to snap back but at that moment the rush of aether blossoms through the room and the portal snaps open, static sizzling down everyone’s clothing as the spell was hurried and forced into place. He and Alpha hiss at the sensation, Quinn giving an annoyed grunt and rolling his shoulders to shake the feeling off but otherwise seemingly not bothered by it. The scarred ghoul steps first through the portal, into a darkened corridor that seemed old and disused. Bioluminescent fungi bloom with a pale blue light at his presence, the aetheric power that innately follows him acting as a signal for the mushrooms to give off light enough to see the sparse surroundings. Alpha jumps through behind the old ghoul, Cael hot on his heels and stumbling before catching himself against the wall. Blaze follows next, then last through is Aether who takes a moment to cast the concealment spell.

“She’s… she’s this way, I got us as close as I could,” Cael pants, shivering despite the sweat already beginning to soak his cassock. Quinn casts a stony glare at him, jaw clenched tight in an effort not to chide or snap at him to take better care of himself. It had been nearly a month since Rain’s ritual and while Cael seemed to have recovered pretty well, he had always tended to be on the sickly side. That, coupled with a near complete disregard for his health and safety, tended to leave Cael in less than stellar condition and Quinn near sick with constant worry for him.

“She? Who is ‘she’,” Blaze asks, getting annoyed at the lack of information at this point. He wanted to know what was going on, where they were going, and why they were going there. He wanted to be prepared for whatever might lay ahead, and for that he needed as much knowledge as possible.

“A ghoulette. Aether ghoulette,” Cael says, glancing around for a quick moment before taking off down the corridor. Quinn shoulders to the front, pushing Cael behind him protectively and keeping a hand on the hilt of his claymore as he stalks through the dimly lit passages. “She needs us, called out to us for help. We have to get to her, soon.”

“That doesn’t fucking tell us a lot,” Alpha grumbles, Blaze nodding in agreement. A cold breeze wafts through, the power in this hall feeling weird, almost corrosive against their skin and making them all shudder at the strange chill. “Wait, we’re… we’re near the surface, aren’t we?”

Blaze nearly stops in his tracks at the revelation. No wonder the energy felt so strange and twisted, malevolent even. Being close to the surface of Hell was dangerous with the constant threat of being hunted by one of the numerous abominations that lived outside their protective caves and caverns. Only air ghouls lived near the surface, their element helping them hide and detect any intruders should something attempt to slink down inside to slake their thirst for ghoul flesh…

“She’s hurt, we need to hurry,” the small quintessence ghoul urges, trying to slink past Quinn and break out running. The old ghoul isn’t having it though, grunting as he gently pushes Cael back though he does quicken his pace a bit. Cael huffs, indignant, though he doesn’t argue with Quinn as he knows that it would be fruitless, instead directing him through the maze-like passages and intersecting hallways. They walk for what feels like a few more minutes when the energy shifts, pulsing violently around their ankles and swirling upwards along their tails and spines like a wave breaking on rocks. The group staggers momentarily, Cael gasping loudly and eyes going wide.

“No,” he croaks, slipping away from Quinn’s grasp and sprinting down the hall, the bulky ghoul shouting after him and giving chase. The passage shudders, a low boom coming from further ahead, sounding like something large hitting a wall. They all stumble, Aether tripping and falling to his knees and hissing as his palms slap onto the stone to keep from mashing his face into the floor. Alpha hauls him up, the group putting on a burst of speed as they hear a keening wail just ahead and around the next corner.

“Cael!” Quinn shouts, hand on his sword hilt as he runs breakneck to the small quintessence ghoul’s aid. Alpha and Aether are right on Blaze’s heels as he rounds the corner, first noting the eerie light coming from further down the corridor then seeing Quinn kneeling next to Cael. The smaller ghoul is on his knees, cradling a body to his chest as pained sounds escape his throat.

“We were too late… I’m sorry,” Cael gasps, tears dripping down his face. Quinn makes a sympathetic sound before glancing up at the walls, eyeing the lines and runes that glowed a faint purple light.

“Wards… and something’s been beating on them. They’re almost burned up,” he growls, rising to his feet and unsheathing his sword before stalking further around the bend. Aether takes his place at Cael’s side, placing a hand on the smaller ghoul’s back in comfort. Blaze leans in to take a closer look at the ghoul held in Cael’s arms, finding it to be a ghoulette, her skin a medium gray flecked with a smattering of dark spots and a cascade of silver streaked black hair. He figures she must have passed not too long before they showed up, her flesh not yet taking on that strange waxiness death tends to bring, looking more like she’d fallen asleep with her arms curled around her swollen belly.

“She was… _fuck_ ,” Blaze rumbles, crooning a soft lament for both mother and child. Aether tilts his head curiously, reaching out to tuck a loose strand of her hair back and gasping as his fingers brush against her cheek.

“Cael, Cael there’s… there’s still a bit of life there!” The bulky quintessence ghoul shuffles forward and presses his palm to the ghoulette’s middle, eyes gone wide as he feels the flickering spark of life from the unborn kit. “The kit, it’s still alive. We can still save them!” A look of astonishment washes over Cael’s face before he carefully lays the ghoulette back on the floor, splaying his hands over her middle and letting the aether flow down the digits. Alpha watched curiously, mouth open as he was about to speak when an ear shatteringly loud screech echoes down the corridor, the aetheric wards popping and fizzing as they barely cling to existence.

“Whatever you’ve gotta do, do it fast,” Blaze growls, looking over his shoulder to catch the other fire ghoul’s eye. Alpha nods, taking position to guard to the two quintessence ghouls as they work, allowing Blaze to dart down the hallway in the direction Quinn had run off in. The corridor ends abruptly right around the bend, opening up to the blasted wastes of the surface world of Hell.  Quinn is picking himself up from the ground, shaking his head and adjusting his grip on the sword as a long gash along his forehead drips blood down his face.

“Fucking… _things_ ,” the quintessence ghoul snarls, knees bent and ready to lunge at his target. Blaze finally gets a look at it, some huge, bulbous thing made of a mishmash of segmented legs and tentacles, mouths full of needle-sharp teeth gaping open all along the rippling, fleshy parts of it’s massive body. Eyes sprout in intervals around the mouths, as well on the ends of stalk-like appendages, twisting and turning, blinking in every direction. Two if the six spined legs flail upwards then slam into the ground, eyestalks and mouths all opening as it shrieks again, the noise nearly deafening and making the two ghouls wince. Blaze drops low, grabbing a couple of egg-sized rocks from the ground and tapping into his fire, suffusing them with heat till they begin to glow. He gives a low chirp to catch Quinn’s attention, bouncing the glowing stone in one hand to show the quintessence ghoul his plan. The scarred ghoul gives a miniscule nod of his head before shifting into a high guard and rushing forward, moving with a quick, fluid grace. The abomination hunches, appendages tensing as it prepares to launch at the oncoming threat, giving Blaze the perfect window of opportunity.

Nearly two centuries of working and fighting together has given the fire and quintessence ghouls a connection, a deep understanding of each other’s movements and abilities, allowing them to work in nearly seamless tandem. Blaze knows the length of Quinn’s stride, how far his reach, knows when exactly to throw the rocks so that they hit the abomination’s shifting hide to explode into a shower of molten rock and sparks that cling and burn to whatever flesh they touch, in turn giving Quinn an opening to swing the blade down through the join where two segments connect on one of its legs. The creature howls and shrieks, dark ichor spraying from the severed limb, attempting to lash out at Quinn but the quintessence ghoul had already spun away from the predicted slashing tentacles, cutting two in half that manage to track him with a backhanded sweep of his claymore. Blaze takes the new distraction to gather another rock, this one the size of a skull and begins heating it in his palm, darting low along the jagged landscape as it takes a good bit longer to heat than the smaller rocks. When he hears a quiet crackling from the rock, it’s surface blazing like a small sun, he gives a savage grin and takes aim, launching it through the air.

The rock smashes into the abomination in the middle of its body, exploding with a boom into a shower of white-hot thermite that adheres to its body, the pieces cooling into a hard shell prison that traps the searing heat inside. As one of its mouths open to bellow in pain Quinn is again moving, blade flashing as he lunges and spears three feet of sharpened, magicked steel into the cavity. With a violent twist he pulls the blade back, sidestepping the ichor that fountains from the deadly wound and jumping away from the thrashing body. Blaze approaches with as much haste as he can while eyeing the creature carefully, concentrating on filling his palm with hellfire and throwing the ball of the shifting black and red flames at it. The hellfire lets out an unholy shriek as it touches flesh, flashing tendrils that catch and spread to devour the abomination whole, leaving a hulking, charred mass that spewed a greasy plume of smoke.

“Let go, before another finds it and decides to go looking for more food,” Quinn pants, wiping at the blood and sweat dripping down his face. Blaze nods and they hurry back down into the caverns, finding the air thick with the scent of blood and the two other quintessence ghouls cradling a bundle made of Aether’s cassock.

“No time, lets go,” Quinn snaps as Cael’s eyes widen at the sight of him, the old ghoul snarling and pointedly not looking at the bloody corpse curled up on the floor. Alpha gives Blaze a knowing look, nodding and waving them all ahead, waiting till they were beyond the corner to kneel near the feet of the dead ghoulette. A shrieking call could be heard far in the distance and the fire ghoul gives a quiet sigh.

“Sleep well, sister,” he croons, placing a hand on the bloodied floor, “may your next life be gentle, and free of pain.” And with that he ignites the hall in fire, burning the corpse to nothing, not leaving a bit to be desecrated by the demons that roamed the surface before sprinting to rejoin the group.

They almost miss the portal, Aether’s fingers fumbling in the air to dissolve the concealment and they all hurry through, Omega breaking the lines and letting it snap out of existence once Alpha was safe on the other side. Cael and Aether rush off to the infirmary, the little newborn kit that they carried needing to be seen to immediately.

“Well, that was interesting,” Quinn grumbles, nodding at Blaze as he stomps off to his own quarters to clean his sword before the corrosive ichor mars the blade. The fire ghoul grunts in reply, stumbling off back to the band ghoul’s apartment, wanting a shower and to curl up and sleep for the next two days wrapped around Rain.

\--

They were finally back home, after nearly three months away on tour and all of them dead tired. Blaze didn’t want to sit through the congratulatory party that the clergy would no doubt hold in recognition of the success of the tour, wanted to just curl up in his and Rain’s nest and not move for the next month. Instead he receives a text the day after they return to the castle, a strange request from Quinn to meet him near the quintessence ghoul’s rooms. He’d been lazing on the couch in their common room, Rain pressed flush against him as he plays a video game with Ember and Earth, when his phone went off, sighing tiredly but deciding to go and see what the old quintessence ghoul wanted. Rain trills at him softly and Blaze presses a kiss to his cheek as he grumbles a quick reply before slinking out the apartment, securing his mask before he reaches the halls where the human clergy frequented. He finds Quinn waiting for him silently, watching the flow of siblings of sin with his arms clasped behind his back. The old ghoul doesn’t speak, merely nods and turns on his heel and stalks down the hallway.

“So what gives, interrupting my much needed rest,” Blaze grumbles as they walk side by side down the halls. He’s not sure where the quintessence ghoul means to take him, though it seems that they are headed down near the infirmary. “Is… everything alright? Is Cael fine?”

“He’s fine,” Quinn grunts, opening a door and waving Blaze through first. “Remember that last trip to Hell we took?”

“Yeah, can’t forget that anytime soon. Has something happened? Is that kit…?”

“See for yourself,” the quintessence ghoul rumbles, nodding to the door at the end of the hallway. Blaze is confused as he peers through the window, glancing into the room to find a few sisters and a ghoulette sitting in a circle and chatting as the ghoulette nursed the small kit.

His heart seizes in his chest, unable to breathe, mouth agape as he sees those familiar loose white curls and eyes that glittered purple, blue, and gold.

“Lucifer almighty,” he breathes, once he’s able to speak through the shock. “How can… but…” As if sensing he was there the kit looks up, pulling away from the ghoulette’s nipple to gurgle and chirp happily, tiny clawed hands reaching up and out towards him.

“The aether is a strange power and does whatever it sees fit.” Quinn shrugs, giving the stunned fire ghoul a small smile before nodding for him to go inside.

\--

Rain feels the sensation through their bond like a punch to the gut, gasping and dropping the game controller to clutch his hands to his heart. The feeling doesn’t last for longer than a few heartbeats but it feels to him like a small lifetime before the shock subsides, leaving Rain feeling empty and adrift. He keens quietly, finding himself curled on the floor with Ember cradled around him and Earth petting his hair soothingly.

“Just breathe, Rain, breathe, it’s alright, you’re fine,” Ember croons, worried about what had set off the water ghoul. Rain takes a shuddering breath, then another, and another, finally beginning to calm as he finds the bond calm and steady.

“What happened,” Earth asks quietly, gently scratching his nails against Rain’s scalp. The water ghoul sighs and trills in quiet pleasure at the feeling, reveling in the safe comfort of his bandmate’s touch.

“Blaze… something, I don’t know,” he mumbles, sighing softly when Ember shifts, making room so that Earth could join them, snuggling in close and sandwiching Rain between them. Earth eventually shifts them again, pulling the two ghouls onto the couch and curling his large frame around them protectively. This is how Quinn finds them some time later, head tilted curiously as he holds the door open for Blaze to follow him inside.

“Rainy,” Blaze croons, cradling a bundle to his chest as he shuffles into the room, watching as the water ghoul lifts his head from where he was resting it on Earth’s broad chest. He feels a quick pang of guilt, knowing his mate had probably felt his shock earlier and seemingly hadn’t dealt with it well. The bundle shifts and gurgles quietly and he chatters back softly, jiggling it in his arms slightly. “Rainy, I’ve someone for you to meet.”

“Is that a…?” Ember begins, sitting up and letting Rain wiggle out from the cuddle pile and pad over to his mate. The water ghoul peers curiously as Blaze slowly shifts the bundle to pull at the blanket covering it, the kit swaddled inside squirming till it locks it big eyes on Rain, tiny hands reaching out for him as it chatters and gurgles happily.

“Lux,” Rain breathes, going through the exact sensations Blaze had earlier, beginning to shake as he’s overwhelmed by so many emotions. A broken sound comes from his throat and his legs give out, dumping him to the floor as he struggles to breathe. Blaze gently follows, shuffling close and holding the kit out so it can grasp at Rain’s shirt. The water ghoul instinctively wraps them in his arms, holding them close as he fights to hold in the sobs that wrack his frame. Lux makes a series of soft, sweet noises, snuggling their face into Rain’s shirt and cooing happily before promptly falling asleep. Blaze pulls Rain into his lap, crooning softly and rocking his mate and the kit gently, placing soft kisses to Rain’s neck and jaw.

“They… they said they’d see me again. I thought… not… not like this,” Rain whispers, voice trembling and broken. Blaze trills for him, knowing Rain sounds sad but can feel the bright, happy love that radiates through their bond as he cradles and pets the kit in his arms. He lifts his head to look at Blaze, wetness in his eyes making the color shimmer brightly, and he gives the fire ghoul a shaky smile. Love blossoms warm and heady through Blaze’s chest and he can’t help but marvel at how beautiful Rain looks, finally so happy after years of being plagued by pain and anguish. _My mate, my perfect, sweet, beautiful mate,_ his mind croons, and he dips his head to kiss him slowly, soaking up the taste and scent of him, opening the bond to share the feeling of warmth and love that fills him so.

For the first time in so, so long, the future was bright and shining ahead of them, full of love and hope.

~fin.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you, everyone who stuck this out with me, and for everyone who encouraged me to write this piece. I've enjoyed this so much, and these characters so much, and I cannot wait to see where things will go from here. I hope you all enjoy this little ending, I'm glad I was finally able to give Rain some happiness finally, after putting the poor thing through the wringer so many times.
> 
> Thank you for all of your kudos and comments, they brighten my day <3


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